Would You Date You?

DJ Smith / Jul 20th / Comments

I remember the date very vividly. I was in high school when a friend came up and said that a girl at a rival high school wanted me to contact her. I had been working as a bag boy for a local grocery store and apparently bagged groceries for this girl’s mother. The mother thought I was a nice boy and wanted me to meet her daughter. I was reluctant to call because blind dates never really turned out well for me. Still, I called the girl and actually had a great conversation. We decided to go out on a date. Even though I was thinking this could be a mistake, I washed and vacuumed Mom and Dad’s car and made sure that I was as presentable as I could be. I bounced around town a while trying to find her house but finally made it to her door. I rang the doorbell. This was it. This was the moment of truth. It was going to be pain or agony when that door opened. I was expecting the worse. My heart raced a little as I could hear footsteps coming to the door. The doorknob turned and the door opened. I saw my date for the first time. The girl that came to the door was quite pretty, so much so, I looked behind me to make sure I had the house number correct. I asked if I was at the right house and to my delight – I was. As with most high school romances, we only dated for a few months, but I learned a lesson about the impact of that first impression.

Would you date you? That’s the question more managers of organizations need to be asking themselves. In today’s consumer-driven marketplace it is critical that you make the most of that first impression if you’re to build a lasting relationship with your target. Just as if you were preparing for a blind date, consider the following as you engage in a relationship with your clients:

1. Make yourself look good
When it comes to first impressions image is everything. Your Web site, offices, bathrooms, waiting rooms, marketing materials, etc. all show who you are. If you ignore the law of attraction then you won’t attract anyone to your organization.

2. Make yourself interesting
Pausanias was an Ancient Greek geographer who wrote about an inscription found on the forecourt of the Temple of Delphi that read, “Know yourself.” That’s the key to making yourself interesting. When you are excited about your work, your staff, and your clients, then your excitement will bring in likeminded individuals who are more than willing to listen to what you have to say.

3. Listen, listen, listen
No one wants to be on a date with someone who only talks about himself or herself. One-sided conversations really aren’t conversations at all. They’re lectures. If you can’t stop long enough to learn something from your target you will be doomed to making the wrong assumptions about your target that will in turn will lead to costly, miscalculated attempts to touch your audience.

4. Never go Dutch
People today are looking for information. They’re hungry for anything that will enrich their lives, ease fears, and bring hope for a better tomorrow – and they want it for free. In order to establish a solid relationship with your target you need to offer them something that helps accomplish their goals in life and you need to make it easy to get to. Profitability in today’s marketplace is fed by building trusting relationships.

5. Know when to say goodnight
There is a proverb in the Bible that reads, “Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you.” You have to be careful that you don’t overstay your welcome with your target. Too many e-mails, newsletters, or sales calls can weary a target faster than anything. Pace yourself. If you want a relationship that will last you need to leave a little something for the next time you meet. You want your target hungry for more and willing to come back to you to get it.

Relationships don’t have to be hard work but they do require work. If you can make yourself look good and interesting then you will attract likeminded people who need what you are offering. However, learn to take interest in your target beyond their wallets. Be a resource they enjoy encounters with and keep coming back for more. If you succeed, you’ll enjoy being the organization that everyone wants to date.

Until next time … keep your pulse strong.